Retirement home sit-in staff reach wages compromise

STAFF owed money following the closure of a nursing home said there had been a breakthrough yesterday, with the offer of wages and holiday pay.

More than 50 staff at the Tullybeg Retirement Village in Co Offaly have staged a sit-in since its closure 16 days ago, claiming the company owes them wages, holiday pay and redundancy payments.

Staff met company director, Ted Cunningham, yesterday and he agreed to pay them three weeks’ wages and holiday pay by Tuesday.

Staff spokeswoman Bridie Delaney said they agreed to this payment on condition that they get outstanding redundancy payments and money-in-lieu-of-notice in the future.

“We are hoping that Mr Cunningham will give us the money promised next Tuesday because we have been promised it before since the dispute started, but it has not come through,” Ms Delaney said.

She said Mr Cunningham said could not meet all of their demands at the moment, but would at some time in the future.

Mr Cunningham, who was arrested earlier this year when gardaí discovered £2.3 million (€3.34m) in his garden during investigations into money laundering and the Northern Bank robbery, could not be reached for comment last night.

Another director of the Tullybeg Retirement Village, Liam Grennan, released a statement earlier this week citing outstanding patient bills mounting to €164,000 as the cause of the crisis.